“You will be captured by Far Above Rubies. I couldn‘t put it down.”
– Dave Gresham, The Navigators Ministry

Her husband—a friend to Mark Twain, mentor to Lewis Carroll, and the man C.S. Lewis called his “master”—was one of the greatest Christian writers of the Victorian era. She was his hidden gem, the bulwark and bastion on which he could lean. Though she was an accomplished musician and singer, an advocate for the poor and neglected, and a published author, she didn’t need the spotlight, but was content to be her husband’s biggest fan and companion. She bore eleven children and adopted and cared for several others. Enduring hardships few of us will ever experience, this petite woman faced them with courage and strength.

Her name was Louisa MacDonald.

“A vivid and inspiring portrait of this remarkable woman.”
—Rolland Hein, biographer of George MacDonald

“A delightful and spiritually thought-provoking book.”
– Valerie Elliot Shepard, author of Devotedly, and daughter of Jim and Elisabeth Elliot

 “This book is meant to be read slowly and savored—Jolyn Canty has painted a magnificent portrait of this indomitable woman.”
-- Wendy Egelkamp, Olney Christian School

 “The gentleness of George MacDonald's life and his tender commitment to his wife, Louisa were exquisite models too often absent in many marriage stories. Let us learn what God's grace can do to build a family and a marriage!”
--Barbara Tompkins, teacher, seminar leader, and inspirational speaker

“This story has everything one wishes for in reading:  vivid characterizations; Victorian life; emotional fulfillment of motherhood; trying and difficult circumstances; underlying threads of spirituality; powerfully enriching realities; and the honest confrontations of family love and sustainability.”
– Anne Hamilton, Col. (Ret.) USAF, NC

Jolyn Canty is a wife, a mother of six, and the adoring Nana of three grandchildren. She is a talented artist, a passionate quilter, and a long-time devotee of George MacDonald.